Method of producing plated powder-core projectile
A method of forming a projectile for use in a firearm ammunition cartridge, the method including mixing a first material and a second material having different densities to produce a core mixture, disposing the core mixture in a die, heating the core mixture to the melting point, removing the core mixture from the die, quenching the core mixture, and plating the core mixture with a jacket material.
1. A method of forming a projectile for use in a firearm ammunition cartridge, the method comprising:
mixing a first material and a second material having different densities to produce a core mixture;
disposing the core mixture in a die;
heating the core mixture to a common melting point of the core mixture;
removing the core mixture from the die;
quenching the core mixture; and
plating the core mixture with a jacket material.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the quenching of the core mixture comprises quenching with air.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material is tungsten, and the second material is tin.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising heating the core mixture to approximately 232 degrees Celsius.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material is a powder with a density higher than lead powder, and the second material is a powder with a density lower than lead powder.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material is a lead powder.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mixing a binding material into the first and second materials.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the binding material is a micronized high density oxidized polyethylene homopolymer.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core mixture is compressed into a die that is undersized for a desired projectile size.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the undersized die is undersized by 1 to 10 thousandths of the desired projectile size.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core mixture is heated in a laboratory oven.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the jacket material comprises copper.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising re-striking the projectile after the plating of the core mixture to form the projectile in a desired projectile size.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the re-striking of the projectile comprises punching the projectile in a die.
15. A method of forming a projectile for use in a firearm ammunition cartridge, the method comprising:
mixing a lead powder and a second material to produce a core mixture, the second material having a different density than lead;
disposing the core mixture in a die;
heating the core mixture to a melting point;
removing the core mixture from the die;
quenching the core mixture; and
plating the core mixture with a jacket material.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second material has a density greater than lead.